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Smartphones of the Year (So Far)

Smartphones of the Year (So Far)

We've reached the halfway point of 2012 – high time to look back on how the smartphone space has progressed so far this year. Here, you'll find the year's most notable, most interesting smartphone releases – our favorites, as well as the devices that turned our heads or made us scratch our chins.

As has historically been the case, enhancements to mobile operating systems have made just as big of an impact on mobile computing as the arrival of the devices themselves. Ice Cream Sandwich – a release that many (including us) see as the first version of Google's mobile OS to display serious mojo – now powers all the top-tier phones. And Google has already debuted Android 4.1 Jelly Bean, which will start arriving on devices in the coming months.

Microsoft is buzzing: Windows Phone 7.5 Mango is showing up in flagships and budget phones alike, and it will see another bump for Microsoft's mobile OS when Windows Phone 8 arrives in October. Meanwhile, Apple's iOS 6 is widely expected to rear its head this fall, along with a new iPhone.

Even with much of the action still labeled "coming soon," 2012 has seen its share of innovative and forward-thinking smartphones. Here are the biggest newsmakers of the year, so far.

Photo: The HTC One X (left) and the HTC Evo 4G LTE, two of the biggest releases this year. Photo by Ariel Zambelich/Wired

HTC One X

The HTC One X is one of the best smartphones on the market, and the best Android phone you can buy right now, period. It's fast, it's gorgeous, it's lightweight and it has a stellar battery that lasts all day. The camera is also outstanding – the best I've seen on an Android phone, though it falls just short of the camera on the iPhone 4S.

It's a handset worthy of being a flagship device for both HTC and AT&T. In fact, the one thing I really don't like about the One X is its exclusivity to AT&T, the only carrier that sells the phone in the U.S. It's a shame this exact same phone isn't available on T-Mobile, Sprint and Verizon. The Sprint version, the Evo 4G LTE, is very close, but Sprint's 4G network isn't widely distributed enough to make it an attractive buy, and the T-Mobile version, the One S, has a weaker screen. –Nathan Olivarez-Giles

Samsung Galaxy S III

The Galaxy S III (available for $200 on AT&T, Sprint, T-Mobile, Verizon and U.S. Cellular) is Samsung's most ambitious smartphone yet, and it serves as a testament to the company's growing stature as a premium handset maker. However, the S III isn't quite an iPhone killer, nor does it dethrone the One X as the best Android handset. While it's a fine smartphone, it's not the unqualified success it aspires to be, and it's regrettably held back by software that never works as well or as easily as it should.

The hardware is great, though – you get Qualcomm's 1.5GHz dual-core Snapdragon S4 processor, 2GB of RAM, and a massive, 4.8-inch, 1280 x 720 pixel, Super HD AMOLED display. The screen is sharp and bright, but the colors feel a bit over-amped. The phone 0.34 inches thick and weighs just 4.7 ounces, and a thin bezel around the display keeps the body from feeling oversized.

But the software is iffy. The voice-recognition system, S Voice, doesn't work that well. The built-in file sharing features are cludgy and counterintuitive, and they require your friends to own Samsung Galaxy S III phones to work properly – even though Android has its own similar sharing features that let you use a mix of devices. –Nathan Olivarez-Giles

Nokia Lumia 900

Rather than build a specced-out superphone for early adopters, Microsoft and Nokia have decided (wisely), to focus their Windows Phone endeavors on a different audience – the booming ranks of first-time smartphone buyers just entering the market, and the millions of us looking for a solid smartphone at a budget-friendly price. The Lumia 900 runs on AT&T's fast 4G LTE network. It has a lively, user-friendly operating system. And it's only $100 with a two-year AT&T contract, a price that betters other flagship handsets by at least half.

The 900 shares the same bold polycarbonate shell as its smaller cousin the Lumia 800, but in a larger 4.3-inch package. The bright 800×480 AMOLED screen isn't as pixel-packed as a Retina display or one of Samsung's stunners, though the only time the Nokia 900's resolution really showed its weakness was in watching streaming video.

I've never handled a Windows Phone Mango device that wasn't pleasantly zippy and responsive, and the Lumia 900 is no exception. The phone's 1.4GHz processor keeps games and videos humming, and the system doesn't seem to be slowed by multi-tasking apps. Subtle animations appear at every turn: things like text folding into or away from the screen when you tap a link or navigate to a different feature, or a springy physicality when you flick to the end of a list. –Christina Bonnington

Samsung Galaxy Note

On paper, the Samsung Galaxy Note is rich with top-of-the-line features: 1.4GHz dual-core processor, 16GB of internal storage and an 8-megapixel camera, all tied to AT&T's speedy 4G LTE network. It also comes with a stylus (Samsung calls it the S Pen) that can be used in conjunction with some smart, system-wide apps.

But see the Note in the flesh and you'll notice one thing above all else: its massive 5.3-inch display. The screen is positively gigantic. Comically huge to the point of shame. Closer to a tablet than a phone, the Note dwarfs the iPhones and Droids around it. Hold it up to your face to make a call and everyone around you laughs. Seriously, it never gets old.

It's not all punchlines, though. Watching videos and playing games are amazing experiences, and it's more comfortable to read web pages and e-books on the Note than on any other phone I've tested. The large, bright, HD Super AMOLED screen requires more power to run, but since the phone is bigger, Samsung could slip in a beefier 2,500mAh battery battery.

But it's just too big. The Galaxy Note's girth makes it tough to carry in your front pocket comfortably while walking around or riding a bike. Stick it in your back pocket, and its bulkiness requires you to take it out when you sit down. Will I have to resort to a man-purse? --Michael Calore

HTC Droid Incredible 4G LTE

The newest Droid Incredible is a phone with one foot stuck in the past. Interior components like the processor and camera are stellar, and they're on-par with other $200 smartphones on the market right now. But the smaller, 4-inch display isn't a true HD screen. And the design, dominated by a stubby and chunky chassis, feels like it was drawn up a few years ago when the Droid brand was first launched.

I applaud HTC and Verizon (the new Incredible, like its namesakes, is a Verizon exclusive) for having the stones to offer a new 4-inch Android smartphone. The world needs more smaller smartphones, honestly. The Samsung Galaxy S III, with its 4.8-inch screen, is damn near impossible to use with one hand. The Droid Incredible 4G LTE, meanwhile, is a breeze to use single-handedly. The super LCD display looks sharp, detailed and flatly better than any other screen I've seen with a 960×540 "qHD" resolution. But at this point, the standard on phones at this price range is to offer an actual HD screen, not a fake HD screen. I'm talking at least 720p, not 540p. It's not good enough. And while it looks good, 720p would look better.

On paper at least, the CPU is also lagging. It's a 1.2GHz dual-core Qualcomm processor, while HTC's other big-name phones -- the One S, One X and HTC Evo 4G LTE – all pack 1.5-GHz dual-core Qualcomm CPUs. However, the Droid had plenty of horsepower to take on the daily tasks I threw at it: multitasking apps, web browsing in Chrome, games and streaming videos. HTC's Sense 4 wrapper over the top of Ice Cream Sandwich ran smoothly, and HTC's skin remains one of the best alternatives to stock Android. So while the new Droid Incredible may be slightly slower than HTC's other flagships, it's an unquestionably capable and speedy phone, and a good place to look if you don't want a giant screen. Just don't expect the design – a simple update to an aging formula – to wow you. –Nathan Olivarez-Giles

HTC Evo 4G LTE

Is the HTC One X by any other name just as sweet? In the case of the HTC Evo 4G LTE, no, not quite. But almost.

The One X is our current pick as the best overall Android phone on the market right now. And HTC's Evo 4G LTE is essentially the same phone as the One X, as far as the guts and the display. But the two phones are not equals.

Some small differences in styling and materials are apparent, but the biggest difference is invisible – the Evo's 4G LTE status. Sprint's 4G LTE network isn't up and running anywhere other than a handful of test markets: Atlanta, Baltimore, Dallas, Houston, Kansas City and San Antonio. For now, that means the new Evo is essentially a 3G phone outside of six cities. While Sprint's 3G network offers great service and the Evo never felt slow, the Evo 4G LTE doesn't yet live up to the 4G LTE part of its name.

Otherwise, it's great. It has one of the best displays and cameras out there, and it is blessed with beastly power and speed. HTC's Sense 4 interface isn't as good as stock Android, but it's the best alternative. Bonus: It has a built-in kickstand. –Nathan Olivarez-Giles

Motorola Droid Razr Maxx

With the Droid Razr Maxx's supercharged battery, Motorola goes a long way toward solving what is arguably the biggest issue in mobile devices today: longevity. It packs a huge 3,300 mAh cell that makes for a seriously plus-sized phone. But the extra junk in the trunk comes with a payoff – a purported 21 hours of talk time and over 350 hours on standby.

The phone stood up to Moto's claims, serving up 12 hours of continuous YouTube video playback – more grueling than voice calls – in my testing before running out of steam. And on a full charge under regular-use conditions (the occasional call or three, light web browsing, playing around with an app here and there), I literally went for three whole days without having to plug it in.

This longevity is only compounded by Moto's Smart Actions management system, the company's ingenious software-based approach for tracking and adjusting feature usage and energy consumption. It switches certain functions on and off automatically when the phone's sensors detect a specific set of user-defined conditions. Pretty nifty stuff. –Mike Isaac

Samsung Focus 2

Nokia has committed wholly to the Windows Phone platform with its flagship Lumia line, but it isn't the only manufacturer investing in Microsoft's mobile OS. Samsung's Focus 2 is the company's fourth Windows Phone device, and it's a smartphone worth your attention.

Best of all, it's a really good deal. At $50 with a two-year AT&T contract, the Focus 2 is only half the price of the Lumia 900, and a third of the cost of HTC's Titan II, even though all three phones run on the same AT&T 4G LTE network. And since the Windows Phone platform is consistent across the devices – you'll see a few pre-loaded manufacturer and carrier apps, but not much else – you're not sacrificing much software experience with the low price tag. The Samsung Focus 2 was just as quick and responsive as any other Windows Phone Mango device I've used.

It has just 8GB of storage, a single-core Qualcomm MSM8255 1.4GHz processor and no MicroSD card slot. But the Samsung Focus 2 gets you access to AT&T's 4G LTE in a compact and cheap device that's plenty capable. –Alexandra Chang

Huawei Mercury

If you already have an iPhone, a Galaxy Nexus or some other head-of-the-class smartphone in your pocket, the Huawei Mercury isn't the phone for you. But if you're upgrading from a feature phone, or if you're loath to sign a two-year contract and would prefer a pay-as-you-go plan, it's likely the perfect phone for you.

Huawei's handset – available on Cricket's smartphone plans, which start at $55 per month with no contract – is a mid-level Android device that makes a great first smartphone, and it performs solidly enough even though it lacks the specs and polish of the latest top-tier hardware. Besides, any shortcomings are easily overlooked if you're in the pay-as-you-go club and you're craving a modern Android experience.

The Mercury (also known as the Huawei Honor and Huawei Glory elsewhere) is a little bit wider and slightly thicker than the average Android. The build is mostly plastic and the quality of the case is kind of cheap-feeling. The touchscreen is nice, though – a 4-inch Gorilla Glass panel that's durable and scratch-resistant. The display is also bright and relatively clear, with a FWVGA 854×480 pixel resolution screen that can display 16 million colors. –Maurizio Pesce

Nokia Lumia 710

Aside from being a 4G phone, most of the Lumia 710's specs lean towards "good enough." But at $50, and with the ability to pair it with a low-cost data plan from T-Mobile, it's cheap enough that even those living paycheck-to-paycheck wouldn't bat an eye.

Windows Phone Mango seems like a lightweight OS compared to something like an HTC Sense-skinned Android. Why do I say that? The 710 runs on merely a single-core 1400 MHz Qualcomm processor with 512 MB of SDRAM, and yet the experience is quite smooth – just as you'd expect it would run on stronger hardware.

The 710's 3.7-inch, 800×480 resolution ClearBlack LCD display isn't as bright as that of its big sisters, the Lumia 800 and 900. But unless you held the two Nokias side by side, you wouldn't really feel like you're missing anything. Colors are rich and images are sharp, but there just isn't that Pow! you get from something like a Super AMOLED screen. –Christina Bonnington

Nokia 808 PureView

There is nothing compelling about the 808 PureView's software -- it runs Symbian, Nokia's outdated operating system that the company is leaving behind in favor of Windows Phone. Rather, this phone is notable because of one feature, and one feature alone: the on-board 41-megapixel camera.

Most highest-end smartphones have 8-megapixel cameras. Compared to those cameras, a 41-megapixel camera sensor seems totally over-the-top and unnecessary. But what Nokia has developed with its homegrown PureView imaging technology is, by far, the best camera I’ve seen on a smartphone.

That doesn’t mean the 808 PureView a good phone. It’s actually a pretty terrible phone with an outstanding camera. You should only consider buying the 808 PureView if you really love mobile phone photography. Even then, you’re probably better off waiting until Nokia’s PureView technology comes paired with a better OS, like Windows Phone (which should happen “very soon”). Also consider that, in the U.S., the phone is currently only available as an unlocked device for AT&T and T-Mobile networks at the high, unsubsidized price of $700. –Alexandra Chang